Artificial minnow



April 13, 1948. F, H, JQBSON 2,439,391

ARTIFICIAL MINNOW Filed Nov. 30, 4194.4

H. @agb/gasa@ 7/2 i/ mmm UA Il INVENTOR.

Fweaf e fzcff. 0653077 ATTE! RN EYB Patented Apr. 13, 1948y f ITEDJ?" STATES' PAT Fl 2,439,391 M I I ARTIFICIAL MINNfoW f Freaerien. Jonson, Jeffersonvinafoawf Application November so, 1944, seriaINo. `stsiss J My present' invention,` in its broad aspect, has

' reference to 'improvements' in artificial iish bait,

and more particularly, it-is'my purpose to provide an artificial minnow or other small ish commonly used for bait, `wherein `the hooks are' normally concealed within the body of thminriow anddo not leave the body of the minnow except when the minnow has been struck by a -sh. Another object of my invention is toA provide movableV hooks' normally housed" and concealed within'the body of `the bait wherebyth' bait vdoes not become fouled with weedsdebrisand the' like, and looks more like the minnow or other sh which it is designed to simulate. These hooks are so mounted that under the strain put on the line and bait by a n-sh when the bait has been struck, they quickly move Ioutwardly to engage in the ilesh of the fish, and become more deeply embedded in the fish as resistance is increased. Since all operating pressure on the hooks is eilected by pull of the line, the lbait itself occupies more or less lof a dormant capacity in the active motivation of the hooks. l

Another object of my invention is to simplify the construction of the bait itself, and to simplify, render more practical and efficient, the actuating mechanism for the hooks. Furthermore, means are provided for guarding the entrances of the hook receiving slots in the bait, and a unique and novel arrangement of springs, a wedge, and a camming effect is provided to positively move the hooks speedily from a dormant concealed position to an active exposed position.

Other important objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description taken with the accompanying drawings, but changes in the specic mechanical organization and detailed parts may be made to meet Varying conditions of practice, provided same fall within the purview of my broad inventive concept.

In the drawings wherein I have illustrated a preferred form of my invention:

Figure l is a longitudinal section on the line .2-2 of Figure 3 showing the hooks in a dormant, concealed position;

Figure 2 i-s a longitudinal section on the line 2.-2 of Figure 3 showing the hooks in an active, exposed position;

Figure 3 Figure 2.

In the drawings wherein like characters of reference are used to designate like or similar partsthroughout the several views:

The numeral I designates the body part of my' artificial minnow, or other small or; the like.

is a cross-section on the line 3 3 of 2 Claims. (Cl. 43-35) commonly used' Af orbait', and 2f the head vpart. The'bdy and r`hea maybel formed of plastic, wood, or other uitable` material "appropriately decorated to rserfible the` desired type of bait. The bodyhasa tailpartB and an aXial cylindrical cavity 4,:s'om`ewhat"enlargedfas at Three elongatedl slots 6 are` etiually spaced from: each other --an`d formed in the y"Wall fof the body. Due to the normal curi/"atrire;of"A the' body 'to resemble the lbody cfa iiish,@thef'forwa'rdedge 'I tapers'to anne edge; 1'IJhehead@part 2 `ntfs* into the outer portion of ftlerilaged'fpart'5G01 the cavity as at' 8 and?maybgluedtorothrwse attached. At the nose is a small bore 9 entering a larger bore I9 forming a, shoulder II, and which latter bore enters a still larger bore I2 forming a shoulder I3 and which communicates with the enlarged cavity 5.

Pivotally mounted on three staples I4, or the like, fixed in shoulder I3, are three hooks I5 which are in registry withu slots 6. Referring to Figure-s 1 and 2, the hooks I5 have their Shanks I6 bent at an angle as at I'I and then turned about the staples I4 and the free ends extend at an angle I8 and terminate in small fingers I9. The angular parts I8 face toward the head of the bait, as do the hooks, and the inclination is upwardly and forwardly, with the fingers I9 extending laterally and pointing outwardly. A spring '2li seats against shoulder I3 and bears against the angular parts I8 and lingers Isee Figure 1-to force the hooks to a position with their Shanks I6 parallel and concealed within the cavity 4, and in effect, the spring binds the hooks in this` position until released in the manner hereinafter described.

A wire leader 2| passes through bores 9-I -I 2 and into cavity 4 and carries a wedging member 22 with curved camming walls 23 flaring outwardly toward the tail of the bait. Spaced from the Wedging or camming member 22 is a stop collar 24 against which bears a spring 25 seated against the shoulder II and housed in. bore IEB to normally urge the wedging or camming member 22 toward the tail of the bait as shown in Figure 1. A sh line 26 is connected with leader 2l.

Referring now to Figures 2 and 3, it will be noted that when the line is pulled forwardly and the bait remains relatively xed as it would momentarily when struck 'by a fish, the 'Wedge or -camming member 22 is pulled forwardly against spring 25 urging the hooks outwardly through the slots to a position at right angles to the axis of the bait as shown in Figures 1 and 2. In ac- `rcomplishing this action, the curved parts 21 of the hooks act as camming surfaces against camming faces 23 and the pressure applied to the hooks is suicient to overcome the force of spring 29 and compress the spring. In the active position shown in Figure 2, the hooks engage the end walls 28 of slots 6, and by their position engage in the flesh of the sh contacting the bait. Continued resistance only tends to further embed the hooks. Suitable guard elevations 29 are formed at the edges of slots B to shield' the hooks.- y

It will be noted that the hooks, when dormant, and concealed, cannot be fouled or ensnared in rubbishI and the like.

It is believed that the operation, advantages,

and construction of my invention will be apparent from the foregoing, but it is again emphasized that interpretation of my invention should only be conclusive when made in the light of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. An articial sh lure, comprising a hollow, slotted body formed to resemble a bait, a bore in the forward end of said body, staples in said bore, pivoted hooks carried by the staples, aspring seated in the bore and encompassing the staples, said spring being adapted to normally hold the hooks in the body, a wedging member movable in the body and having a curved camming face engaging the hooks, a leader carrying the wedging member, a stop collar on said leader, a spring about the leader contacting the collar for normally urging the wedging member toward the tail of the bait in opposition to the force of which the wedging member moves under the draw of the leader to move the hooks out through the slots into active position.

2. `An artificial sh lure, comprising a hollow body, a bore in the forward end of said body, staples in said bore, a series of slots in the wall of the body, a plurality of fish hooks pivoted in the body to said staples, angular arms on said hooks, a spring encompassing the staples and seated in the bore engaging the arms on the hooks to hold the hooks within the body, a wedging member having a camming face movable in the body, a leader passing through the wedging member, a stop collar on said leader, a spring on the leader contacting the collar for normally urging thewedging member toward the tail of the bait, the wedging member being movable against the hook and spring to force the. hooks outwardly through the slots into active position, the curved parts of the hooks affording a camming surface for the cam face of the wedging member.

FREDERIC H. JOBSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,256,088 Hogan Sept. 16, 1941 1,486,028 Meighen Mar. 4, 1924l 1,556,297 Moore Oct. 6, 1925 

